the other day was a spatula and measuring cup and today was this...
lol.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Monday, August 03, 2015
let's play pretend!
Why playing silly jokes is the best lesson for children: Clowning around helps young make friends and think more creatively by Colin Fernandez, Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail
Serious-minded parents may want their children to excel in life by teaching them Chinese or advanced physics. But scientists have found that in fact silly play – such as an adult putting a toy chicken on their head - helps a child develop abstract thought.
As well as joking, playing ‘let’s pretend’ is also a vital way for children to learn important life skills, such as maintaining relationships, creativity, and generally enjoying life researchers argue.
Children as young as 16 months old learn the difference between an adult joking and playing ‘let’s pretend’ from picking up on their parents’ cues.
Researchers from Sheffield University carried out two studies. One involved parents being asked to joke and pretend with their 16 to 20-month-old children. Jokes involved misusing objects like putting food on their heads, while pretend play included activities like washing hands without soap or water. In the other study, parents of 20 to 24 months old were asked to joke and pretend verbally with their toddlers. Pretend play included parents telling their children a round block was a horse and jokes included mismatching items like saying that a toy chicken was a hat.
When pretending, parents showed more ‘belief’ in what they did. The study found a mild difference between the sexes in whether they preferred joking or pretending. The authors noted: ‘Girls were perhaps more engaged in pretending than joking compared to boys.’ Dr Elena Hoicka, from Sheffield University’s department of psychology, said: ‘The study shows just how important play is to children’s development.
‘Parents who pretend and joke with their children offer cues to distinguish the difference between the two and toddlers take advantage of these cues to perform. ‘But if parents were pretending that, for example, a block was a horse, they might repeatedly make the block gallop, which would encourage children to do the same, and understand that the block really was a horse in their imagination.’
She added: ‘The research reveals the process in which toddlers learn to distinguish joking and pretending. Knowing how to joke is good for maintaining relationships, thinking outside the box, and enjoying life. Pretending helps children to practice new skills and learn new information. So while parents may feel a bit daft putting a toy chicken on their head they can at least console themselves with the knowledge that they are helping their children develop important skills for life.’
Future research projects will include parent surveys on joking and pretending to see how these abilities develop from birth through to three years old.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3183280/Why-playing-silly-jokes-best-lesson-children.html#ixzz3hiQ8FSDB
Serious-minded parents may want their children to excel in life by teaching them Chinese or advanced physics. But scientists have found that in fact silly play – such as an adult putting a toy chicken on their head - helps a child develop abstract thought.
As well as joking, playing ‘let’s pretend’ is also a vital way for children to learn important life skills, such as maintaining relationships, creativity, and generally enjoying life researchers argue.
Children as young as 16 months old learn the difference between an adult joking and playing ‘let’s pretend’ from picking up on their parents’ cues.
Researchers from Sheffield University carried out two studies. One involved parents being asked to joke and pretend with their 16 to 20-month-old children. Jokes involved misusing objects like putting food on their heads, while pretend play included activities like washing hands without soap or water. In the other study, parents of 20 to 24 months old were asked to joke and pretend verbally with their toddlers. Pretend play included parents telling their children a round block was a horse and jokes included mismatching items like saying that a toy chicken was a hat.
When pretending, parents showed more ‘belief’ in what they did. The study found a mild difference between the sexes in whether they preferred joking or pretending. The authors noted: ‘Girls were perhaps more engaged in pretending than joking compared to boys.’ Dr Elena Hoicka, from Sheffield University’s department of psychology, said: ‘The study shows just how important play is to children’s development.
‘Parents who pretend and joke with their children offer cues to distinguish the difference between the two and toddlers take advantage of these cues to perform. ‘But if parents were pretending that, for example, a block was a horse, they might repeatedly make the block gallop, which would encourage children to do the same, and understand that the block really was a horse in their imagination.’
She added: ‘The research reveals the process in which toddlers learn to distinguish joking and pretending. Knowing how to joke is good for maintaining relationships, thinking outside the box, and enjoying life. Pretending helps children to practice new skills and learn new information. So while parents may feel a bit daft putting a toy chicken on their head they can at least console themselves with the knowledge that they are helping their children develop important skills for life.’
Future research projects will include parent surveys on joking and pretending to see how these abilities develop from birth through to three years old.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3183280/Why-playing-silly-jokes-best-lesson-children.html#ixzz3hiQ8FSDB
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